Stores offer early start to Black Friday

Some retailers will begin Thursday

November 18, 2012

Once the food is put away, the dishes are washed and visits with family are done, those eager to do a little holiday shopping can get a head start on tackling their Christmas lists on Thanksgiving Day this year.

Several major retailers are opening their doors early this shopping season, offering pre-Black Friday discounts on Thanksgiving and into the early morning hours Friday.

After being open for a few hours on Thanksgiving Day in 2010 and going back to regular Black Friday hours last year, Sears will once again be open on Thanksgiving, offering doorbuster sales beginning at 8 p.m.

Article Photos

-Messenger photo by Hans MadsenLindsay Hoeppner, manager of the Fort Dodge Sears store in the Crossroads Mall, holds a sign announcing the store’s early opening on Thanksgiving evening rather than the traditional early morning opening on Black Friday.

"We were open just until noon a couple of years ago on Thanksgiving Day," said Lindsey Hoeppner, store manager at Sears in the Crossroads Mall. "Last year we went back to opening early Friday morning."

Hoeppner said Sears will run a weekend ad from Thursday through Sunday with many sales offered throughout the weekend, but special sales will be offered when the store opens Thursday and again at 4 a.m. Friday.

"There will be doorbusters at 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.," she said. "You could shop all night and get back in line for the 4 a.m. sales."

Once the store opens Thursday evening, it will remain open until 10 p.m. Friday.

"We'll be opened for 26 straight hours," said Hoeppner.

Hoeppner expects there will be lines at the doors when the store opens Thursday.

"We always expect a crowd," she said. "And we usually have something, maybe hot cider, to offer for people who are waiting outdoors."

Kmart stores will be open Thanksgiving Day starting at 6 a.m. and will close at 4 p.m. to prepare for sales that will begin later that evening. Kmarts across the country will reopen their doors to shoppers at 8 p.m. Thursday.

"It could be a little crazy," said Kim Chambers, manager of the Webster City Kmart store. "There will be lots of good sales. But we always have fun with it."

Chambers said she has both a day crew and night crew ready for the holiday rush.

"Everyone will work a shift Thursday or Friday," she said. "We have day and night crews ready to work. Some will even work split shifts."

Kmart will remain open until 3 a.m. Friday and open again at 5 a.m. on Friday.

I expect we'll have a lineup of shoppers," said Chambers. "It's always a pretty good day for us."

Younkers will be opening at midnight Friday with special sales throughout the store.

"There will be a lot of bonus buys throughout the store," said Maggie Bass, a selling supervisor at Younkers. "The doors will open at midnight and we'll stay open all night into Black Friday."

Bass said Black Friday is a busy day for Younkers, no matter what time they open the doors.

"There is always a line and they'll be rushing through the doors when we open them," she said.